


Somebody Has To

by NamelessNovelist



Series: The Lost Children of L'manberg [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Child Neglect, Feral Behavior, Found Family, Friendship, Homelessness, This isn't angst btw, but right now it's just vibing, dream and niki are just mentioned too, i added the Captain's perspective, i mean it might be later, lemme know if i should tag something:), sorry - Freeform, tubbo techno and wilbur are just mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:20:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28138326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelessNovelist/pseuds/NamelessNovelist
Summary: Everyone in L’manberg knew about the tribe of children that lived in the local forest. Some believed that they had simply run away from home and hoped for the best, others spread the idea that they were all born and raised to be feral. Regardless, everyone knew that those kids were out there. What they didn’t know, however, was where in the forest they remained hidden.
Relationships: Jordan Maron & Phil Watson, Jordan Maron & Toby Smith | Tubbo, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: The Lost Children of L'manberg [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2061756
Comments: 26
Kudos: 569





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started another story!!! Again!! WHoops.

Everyone in L’manberg knew about the tribe of children that lived in the local forest. Some believed that they had simply run away from home and hoped for the best, others spread the idea that they were all born and raised to be feral. Regardless, everyone knew that those kids were out there. What they didn’t know, however, was where in the forest they remained hidden.

Everyone knew these children existed, the turned over trashcans, the tiny footprints in the dirt, the singing, and laughter that could be heard occasionally, all of it pointed towards the existence of these kids, but other than small traces and dead trails, no one had seen these kids, or knew where they hid.

In the beginning, people would worriedly hunt for them. Late-night search parties were deployed almost every night, and the occasional bait of sweets and toys would be left in hopes of catching a glimpse of the tragic, abandoned children of L’manberg. The children, of course, couldn’t see the good intentions of the local population and interpreted their attempts at helping as a threat. This miscommunication leads to what people called The Youth Raid. The kids, absolutely terrified of the adults, had decided to sneak into the center of town, late at night, and set fire to the toys and gifts the townspeople had left for them, as some kind of monument and symbol of their rejection of society.

After that, people lost their compassion for the children and began to view them as some kind of pest. Trashcans with food were often laced with rat poison and damaged and unwanted clothing was burnt rather than discarded. The people of L’manberg had their egos bruised by a group of ‘ungrateful’ children, and in response, they held an ongoing grudge and had a perpetual tantrum, permanently punishing the tribe of feral kids for their fear.

Phil knew all of this when he moved to L’manberg with his friend, one mister Captain Sparklez, and he was determined to be the one to change it.

Captain Sparklez was a long time friend of Phil’s, so when the former navy leader asked him to come help him run a halfway home, an orphanage of sorts, Phil agreed. It helped that he was already passionate about helping people, and his dear friend had been the one to ask, but mostly, Phil agreed because the idea of anyone being so alienated from the rest of the world simply didn’t sit right.

Captain Sparklez made quick work of finding a building large enough to turn into a home that could accommodate at least 10 people. The building was purposefully positioned to be close to the forest, and hours of effort were spent trying to make it seem as welcoming and safe as possible. The front entrance had a large garden of flowers and tasteful vines dripped down the sides of the cobblestone building. The house itself had 2 floors and both an attic and a basement. Captain Sparklez personally ensured that there were plenty of visible exits, in case of emergency, and that there were small spaces to hide in case any of the kids felt threatened,

There were mixed reactions when the passion project was announced. Some of the more kindhearted people celebrated the idea of forest children finally receiving the patience and care they deserved, while others thought it to be a waste of time and resources. No one ever said it to their faces, but the Captain and Phil prepared to face admonishment regardless.

The halfway home took roughly two months to complete, and when it was done and Captain Sparklez and Phil had moved in, they were ready to begin.

And that’s how Phil ended up in this situation. Lost in a forest, with a torn map and a broken compass, on their first day of searching no less. Of course, nothing could go right.

Phil sighed heavily as he slumped down to sit on a rotten tree stump, “‘Let’s split up!’ he said…. ‘We’ll cover more ground!’” He mocked as he kicked at a rock coated in moss. 

It made him sad that their search had fallen apart so quickly, his heart broke at the idea of these children simply being doomed from the start. He didn’t plan on giving up though. No force in the world could keep him from trying to help. Somebody has to.

His stomach growled, loud in comparison to the ambient sounds of the forest, and he huffed. “Shit.”

A small laugh trickled down from the trees overhead, so soft that Phil thought he imagined it.

“Hello? Is, um,” Phil stood and dusted off his clothes, “Is anyone there?”

Silence.

“Great. I’m totally losing it now. Wonderful.”

Another giggle, closer to the ground this time, but still quiet.

Phil forced his expression to remain neutral, but internally, his heart raced and his mind buzzed. “If only there was someone wiser and smarter than I am that could help me find my way home!”

And, okay, listen, if Phil was playing up the dramatics with his, admittedly, awful acting skills to appeal to the faceless voice, then that was between him and the Gods.

The voice in the trees inhaled sharply, and for a minute there was silence, and Phil was worried he had ruined his chance, but then he heard a soft thud land on the grass behind and he knew his plan had worked.

“...Okay, mister, I’ll help you, but- but only because you’ll starve without my massive brain and genius ideas!”

Phil slowly turned around and he nearly choked trying to contain his gasp at seeing an adorable, small boy standing on the ground in front of him. The boy was wearing a ratty white shirt with red sleeves that swamped his tiny frame. The shirt hung down past his knees and Phil could see that the boy was barefoot. The child’s hair was blonde, or at least Phil thought it was underneath all of the dirt and grime that had gathered there. His cherubic face was smudged with what appeared to be makeshift war paint, and Phil squeezed his fists tightly, restraining himself from reaching out and attempting to clean the young boy's face.

“You’ll help me find my way out? Oh, thank you so much!” Phil praised with the most grateful voice he could muster.

“Yup!” The kid grinned, revealing a missing baby tooth, and pointed his nose up in pride, “Wilbur says we’re not supposed to talk to adults, but I think this would be okay. Just this once!” 

Phil smiled, his heart clenching, “Well, lead the way!”

The boy spun on his heels and marched back towards the way Phil came. He ignored the rocks and dirt that dug into his feet, and lead the way with the skill and assured look of a well-traveled explorer.

Phil didn’t think he would get this far, and honestly, he wasn’t sure what to do next. So he figured he would just have to go with his gut, I mean, it worked before, right?

“My name is Philza, but you can call me Phil. Can I ask you your name?”

“I don’t know, can you?”

Phil barked out a shocked laugh, “Where did you learn that? And may I ask you your name?”

The boy shrugged, still facing away from Phil, “Techno says it a lot. Think’s he’s real funny. I don’t really get it-” The boy interrupted himself, “I mean, I get it! I just, I don’t really, I don’t find it that funny! I’m very smart! I get everything!”

Phil took a deep breath as he pushed a branch out of his way, trying to maintain composure. “Oh, I know you’re smart! You must be if you’re so good at leading like this!”

The boy stopped and turned back to look at him, as if trying to gauge if Phil was telling the truth, “Really?”

“Absolutely!”

The kid turned red and smiled, softer than before, but more genuine, “Well, of course, I am! Anyway, my name is Tommy! The others sometimes try to call me Tomathy, but that- that’s dumb, ‘cause it’s not true! It’s just Tommy!”

“That’s a great name,” Phil shifted to a quicker pace when Tommy continued his path back towards L’manberg, “I’m starting to recognize the area, but I think you should keep guiding me. I don’t want to get lost again.”

“Yeah, good, 'cause if you got lost again, I might not be around to help you, and if that happens you might get lost forever! Or you might run into the others, and they’re not as smart or nice as I am!”

“Really, now?” Phil filed that information away for later.

“Yup!” Tommy gasped and ran a couple of feet ahead before ducking to hide behind a large tree trunk. He waved for Phil to come hide with him.

Phil jogged over and squatted down next to Tommy. “What is it?” he whispered.

Tommy held a finger to his lips and pointed just beyond the tree to where Captain Sparklez stood at the meetup spot he and Phil agreed on.

“Oh,” Phil stood, but kept his volume low, “It’s okay, Tommy, that’s my friend. He must be waiting for me.”

Tommy’s face scrunched up in distaste, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of another adult so close by, “Are you sure he’s safe?”

“Yes, Tommy, I promise.”

“Okay,” Tommy stood and peaked out to look at the Captain before finally stepping out from behind the tree completely, “Well, I guess you can go now. Don’t get lost again!”

“I’ll do my best not to,” Phil smiled. He knew that Tommy wouldn’t be comfortable enough with him to come stay at the halfway home immediately, especially if all of the other children didn’t want to go, but he felt that he had made good progress.

“Well! Go on! Go to your friend!” Tommy said as he began to climb up another tree.

“Wait, Tommy,” Phil called up to the boy, “Can I visit you again?”

Tommy looked down at Phil, contemplating the question, and then he nodded, “Yeah, okay. Just don’t go too far into the forest! And with that, the small boy scampered off into the trees above.

Phil sighed and smiled lightly as he stepped out of the shadows and towards his friend.

“Phil! Where were you!? We were supposed to meet here like 30 minutes ago,” Captain Sparklez shouted, “And I have some good news! I met one of the kids, I think his name was Tubbo-”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here have a bonus chapter!!!

Captain Jordan Sparklez was being followed. He knew it, the thing following him knew it, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to say anything. He didn’t think his silent stalker was a threat, after all, this forest was known to house a tribe of children, not bloodthirsty warriors, so he figured he was safe. He knew his goal was to find one of the children and attempt to befriend them, but Gods he didn’t expect to meet his goal so soon.

And, look, Jordan Sparklez was a kind, charismatic man, and he knew how to hold a conversation, but how in the world is he supposed to approach communicating with a feral child?

“...I like your coat.”

Oh, Gods, the kid wanted to talk.

“Um...” Jordan looked down at his clothes and took note of his red coat with gold lining, “Thanks. I got it after I became a Captain.” He looked around, trying to catch a glimpse of the boy who spoke, but the child remained out of sight.

The voice gasped, and for a moment, Jordan could almost picture the excited gleam that must be in the boy's eyes, “You’re a Captain?! Like, like on a boat?”

Jordan scratched the back of his neck, “I mean, yeah.” Out of all the conversational paths he expected to take, this was not one of them.

Suddenly, a small boy with a dark brown mop of hair that had leaves and twigs tangled in it popped out from where he was previously hidden in a tree branch. He hung upside down from the branch, and his cheeks had a light dusting of pink from the blood rushing to his head. “Did you see any pirates? Tommy and I like to play pirates a lot! And, and, and sometimes, Dream plays with us!”

The excitable boy scared Jordan more than he should have, but once the initial shock was over he was overwhelmed with the desire to pick up the boy and shield him from the rest of the world. He felt like a mama duck who just accidentally adopted a duckling.

“Uh, no, I didn’t encounter too many pirates, but I did shoot a canon, which, ya know, is kinda cool too, I guess…” Jordan answered once his breathing had leveled out.

The kid’s eye’s widened and Jordan swore he could see stars in his eyes, “You used a canon?! That’s so awesome!” The kid swung himself back up onto the branch so that he was comfortably sitting on it, his bare feet kicking in the air.

Now that Jordan had gotten a better look at the young boy, he could see a small scratch crossing the boy’s left cheek. It wasn’t deep, or particularly dangerous, but it was red and slightly puffy, indicating that it was soon to be infected if it wasn’t cleaned properly. The Captain tried to remember if he brought any medical supplies.

“Say, kid-”

“Tubbo!” the boy, apparently called Tubbo, interrupted.

“Tubbo, does that scratch on your cheek hurt?”

The boy shyly raised a hand that was covered by the sleeves of a massive green hand-me-down sweater to his cheek, “...Niki and Wilbur said that they would try to find a way to clean it.”

Jordan swallowed, “I could try to clean it for you. I think I have a disinfectant wipe and a bandage in one of my pockets. B-but only if you want me to! I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable.”

Tubbo pursed his lips and his eyebrows furrowed, the metaphorical gears in his brain cranking quickly. “Well, you can always trust a captain, so I guess you can clean it…”

And, look, Jordan was a genuine, and caring person, so Tubbo’s assumption was accurate, however, that fact did nothing to lessen the growing concern he had for the small boy. No child this naive should be expected to fend for himself.

Jordan slowly reached into one of his inner pockets and pulled out his emergency bandages and disinfectant, “Okay, kiddo-”

“Tubbo!”

“-Tubbo, can you hope down from that branch so I can reach you better?”

The boy nodded so intensely that several sticks dislodged from his tangled hair and tumbled to the ground. He hopped down from the tree and angled the scratch towards Jordan.

Jordan kneeled, tore open the disinfectant wipe, and pulled it out of its pouch. “So, Tubbo, I just realized I haven’t given you my name.” He dabbed the wipe on and around the scratch softly.

“You mean you’re name isn’t Captain?!”

Jordan stifled a laugh, “Well, it’s my title, but my name Jordan Sparklez. Most people call me Captain Sparklez, but you can just call me Jordan if you want.”

“Okay, Mister Jordan Captain Sparklez, sir!”

Jordan sighed. Gods this kid was a riot.

Jordan finally finished cleaning the scratch, and he opened the bandage carefully before applying it. He stood, “Alright, Tubbo, you’re all set. Just be careful to keep it clean and dry and it’ll be better in no time.”

Tubbo grinned, “Captain’s orders?”

“Captain’s orders.”

Tubbo mock-saluted and stood at his best attempt at attention “Aye, aye, Captain!”

This time, Jordan did laugh at the boy’s light-hearted antics before hearing the distant voice of another older child.

“Tubbo?!”

“Oh no,” Tubbo whispered to himself, looking vaguely panicked, “I have to go! The others- the others, they’ll be missing me!”

“That’s okay, Tubbo,” Jordan looked to the sky and noticed the sun start to fall, “I have to go find my friend soon too.”

Tubbo rocked on his heels nervously, “Are you sure? I mean, I know you’re a Captain but Wilbur says it’s best not to leave someone alone in the forest. Really I shouldn’t even be alone right now, only Techno and Dream can go off alone.”

Jordan puffed up his chest and tried to look as strong and heroic as possible, “Your Captain can handle the forest alone! A dozen pirates couldn’t take me down, and a forest certainly won’t either!”

The amused stars that appeared in Tubbo’s eyes made the ridiculous pose worth it.

“Okay, Captain! I’ll see you around!...maybe... If the others let me! You’ll have to meet Tommy next time!” Tubbo started walking backward, disappearing deeper into the forest, waving as he went.

Once the young boy was gone from view, Jordan allowed the tension in his shoulders to evaporate before mustering up the strength to march back to his and Phil’s meeting point.

And if Tubbo excitedly told the fantastical stories of the Amazing Captain Sparklez and his red coat around the family fire that night, Jordan was certainly none the wiser.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a oneshot for now, but if people like it, I have a couple more ideas for this universe. Maybe I'll make a series??? idk idk


End file.
